I love working on homemade holiday food gift recipes this time of year, and my 3 kids love helping me create them too. This creative idea for Homemade Cracker Jacks is a simple recipe that adults and the kids can enjoy. Just pick up a small one dollar item to put in the box as a toy. I will be making this recipe this Tuesday on NBC “Daytime Alabama” as well as two others, and this recipe will also be featured in the December issue of Birmingham Magazine.

It was such a busy weekend for me, and I had to share. A few months ago I was asked to be one of the judges for the 2nd annual Kick’n Chick’n Wingfest right next to Soho Square in Birmingham. This festival is a benefit for Magic Moments which is a charity that grants all kinds of wishes for all kinds of kids, specifically those who have life-threatening or life-altering medical conditions that substantially limit one or more major life activities. Eighteen restaurants in Birmingham compete to battle their “hot” wings and “alternative” wings. Seven judges and myself had to critique and judge each wing on its appearance, texture, tenderness, spicy, flavor and overall experience. I was so excited to sit next to and meet in person the amazing, John-Brian Hopkins of “Foodimentary” as well as meet so many fun, talented other judges from The Birmingham News, Birmingham Magazine and a few other Birmingham talents. The event was highly successful with unexpected huge crowds on a beautiful Saturday in Birmingham. Adults as well as kids looked like they were having a blast.

I was so excited that Summer Fest 2010 this week is featuring recipes using stone fruits from bloggers around the country. To read more about Summer Fest, check out Away to Garden and join the community. I love this recipe for Pork and Plum Skewers. It’s so easy to prepare. Just make a simple marinade, thread plums and pork on skewers, and grill. This recipe was featured in the July issue of Birmingham Magazine, and I couldn’t wait to share it for Summer Fest.

The two food items that all of my three kids love, is shrimp and Caesar Salad. So I knew that when I came up with the recipe for Caesar Skewers for Kraft, I better make plenty for everyone. This recipe is too easy for words, only 15 minutes of prep time. Feel free to purchase already-cooked, frozen shrimp if you find that it’s cheaper. I have been buying it a lot lately, and the quality is great. Enjoy this as summer nears for a light one-dish meal.